The seemingly huge Alantic Ocean
Thursday 4 December 2003
So much has been done
Water and fuel topped up.
Batteries fully charged
Food milk fruit juice beer and wine - hopefully enough for four weeks without rationing.
Radio schedules established with Skandinaviska Natet.
And much much more.
The distance to be sailed is approximately 2,700nm (about 5,000 km)
Initially we will probably sail south of the direct route in order to pick up more helpful (trade?)winds
We hope to do a little better than 100nm per day (24 hours)
So Christmas might be difficult but New Year within the bounds of possibility.
(It would perhaps be unlucky to mention these hopes before a voyage but this is written retrospectively!!)
Göran Pia John
Almost ready to go, not much wind yet but a breeze is forecast for the afternoon......not necessarily
from a very helpful direction.
Deck shoes on
Reefing lines rigged, but no lazy jacks
Perkins running sweetly
Log 2751.7nm
Cast off fore and aft
And away we go.
1200 San Sebastian pier head to port.
1210 Main and Perkins wind f2 178deg !!
Course ordered 205 degrees Magnetic
Starboard tack, one reef. Genoa poled to port.
1500 Generator streamed and giving approx 6A. Very satis.
1800 Rain. Wind increased to 21kt NNW Barometer continues to fall. Boat speed 6.5kt which is useful
2030 Watch keeping starts. Göran on.
I managed to get some sleep in my forepeak berth, I used the port berth with its lee cloth.
2330 Pia on watch.
5 December 2003
0230 John on watch.
2330 Pia on watch.
5 December 2003
0230 John on watch.
0300 Wind shifted more northerly but died to less than 6kt
Engine on, steering 222 degrees Magnetic.
0500 Hierro just visible sinking on the northern horizon.
Most boats in the area report they are motoring.
0530 Göran on watch. Genoa still poled to port with engine running.
1200 And there is just enough north in the wind to get the genoa to fill on starboard.
Engine off!!
N 26 deg 24.5
W18 deg 35.6
Wind 10kt northerly
Trip 117nm logged
Barometer steady
Testing the HF radio for email to Wiksberg, cannot make reliable contacts, perhaps conditions will improve overnight
6 December 2003
0200 John on watch. A glorious starlit night, but the wind has deserted us again. The rolling and slamming is however not too bad. (The main is guyed forward). The genoa just about fills if we keep Perkins fairly quiet. We maintain a little less than 5kt.
0845 Hula (Richard Woods) is motoring into Mindelo (Porto Grande on Sao Vicente)for fuel.
In 1989 Mindelo had given Kwa Heri the delightful welcome on vhf....
"Little boat, little boat welcome to my country"
1200 N 24 deg 48.4 W 19 deg 59.2
Trip 223nm logged
Better Pactor (radio) connection. Position reported.
1515 Distant westbound sailing vessel crossing astern
2300 Göran on watch, John off. Wind ESE 4 Going nicely.
7 December 2003 and the Tropics
0500 John on watch, Pia points out large mv crossing ahead. Otherwise a quiet night.
0810 Altered course 235 M. after receiving GRIB files.
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| s/y Vaitea |
1200 N 23 deg 19.3' W 21deg 21.00'
5.3 kt 235 deg M Trip 112
And so we are in the Tropics
Capricorn lies at 23 deg 26.37 North
1417 Spoke catamaran Vaitea she was home-built in East Germany
In the evening I managed to send a mail via the HAM amateur HF radio network
to Christel to distribute to Göran's friends via normal email.
And so the days went gently by.
Mostly it was held forward by the guy.
The rolling was far less and the chafe minimal as long as the sail did not bear heavily on the shrouds.
The genoa was mostly poled out to starboard as the wind usually had enough east to keep it filled.
The sun awning, zipped to the after edge of the spray hood, really started to justify its existence now we have the tropical sun overhead.
Göran took sole responsibility for fishing, which was not a simple task because the fishing line and the towed Aquair generator invariably got tangled. So when Göran decided our speed was ideal for dorado....rather less than 5kt, the Aquair had to be hauled in.
and on the morning of 12December another beauty.
Göran did all the knife work and Pia the wonderful cooking.
I gladly helped with the eating.
Glorious trade wind sailing, excellent company and
All change....C aboard, P&G to B&B
entirely different from when last I was at this spot in the ocean.
For it was here that Kwa Heri had to alter course for Mindelo and retire from the ARC rally. We had been becalmed for three days and our water would no longer last to the West Indies.
It also was 12 December but in 1989.
We were were now able to shape our course more directly for Martinique because the Trade Winds and the North Equatorial Current were really in our favour.
13 December and on Saint Lucia's day the island of S Lucia is almost exactly dead ahead!!
This is also the day when we heard that Richard and Hula have left Mindelo. It sounds as if he will be trying to beat us to the other side.....
Trade wind sailing continued but with a little extra urgency. Another magnificent Dorado dinner with drinks on the foredeck at 6kt.
15 December and we reckon this is halfway
N 17 deg 28.4 W 37 deg 00.5
Cake and Congnac at 1600 to celebrate but now we must concentrate Hula is a touch ahead
17 December
Sunset under our new racing rig !!
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| Our "Turbo" rig |
We set up the working jib on the inner forestay - something Bluesipp had only used before when the genoa was away for repairs in Greece.
Pia achieved 8.2 kt and we had a 24 hour run of 155nm. Two records for this trip so far.
And so we continued, no other shipping seen. Wind continued to have enough east in it to permit the turbo rig and we maintained almost the same speed as Richard in his larger boat.
21 December
The weather is starting to become squally and we have put a couple of reefs in the main.
At dawn we saw the last sickle of the old moon.
1200 Z N 15deg 39.64 W 51deg 50.85 Log 1062.8 24 hour run 146.8 nm A new record
But Richard stays just ahead.
Doing a lot of silly sums to see when on Christmas day we might arrive......
Fuel and water both ok
22 December
A reminder that there is another world out there.....
To: "wiksberg" <john.kirkus@kolumbus.fi>
Subject: BBQ
X-MID: 1172_m0jrk
X-Type: Email; Outmail
Date: 22 Dec 2003 13:17:19 -0000
X-From: m0jrk
X-Status: Sent
X-Via: HF.KB6YNO
X-Date: 2003/12/22 13:17:20
Very quickly in case I can catch you..............
You are invited to Jul Afton BBQ on beach at St Anne.
Contact Patrik and Sophia s/y Aigeas (the couple minding the big m/v in Malta
Have great fun
pn
23 December
Weather definitely deteriorating. The jib has to come off. 3 reefs in the main and a couple of rolls in the genoa.
Rain
1200Z N 15deg 37.236 W 56deg 37.408
Looks certain Richard will get in on Christmas eve! He will keep watch on vhf.
24 December
The first sea gulls, the sky is looking very unfriendly. The skipper is messing with Christmas lights.
Light winds early but picked up considerably as the day went on.
If Christel makes it to the BBQ it might be somewhat damp.
25 December
A really horrible night with squalls and heavy rain
3 reefs and about seven rolls in the genoa. Engine working hard.
0430 I.Cabrit light Fl 4 15sec (not as charted) on stbd bow. Good!
0530 Grey land ahead
Not exactly Christmas weather
Göran and Pia getting a well earned sleep
Pia awoke as the sun managed to pierce the clouds astern and was amazed to see
LAND
Pia in the sunshine and Martinique ahead......
10.00 Moored alongside Cul de Sac Marin awaiting formalities.
Log 5325.8.....Trip 5325.8 - 2751.7 = 2,574.1
Total elapsed time for trip Gomera to Martinique 20 days and 25 hours (!)
Cleared in ... no sign of Christel who overslept after her long flight.
26 December
Motored out from Marin to anchorage off St Anne
Pia and Göran aboard, C&J relaxing in hotel.
27 December
Which turned out to be a wise move on their part.....because
29 December
The threatened weather deterioration arrived....
Torrential (tropical even) rain and gusting plenty
Fortunately all anchors were well set . Our nearest neighbour was dressed overall to celebrate her arrival in paradise.
Torrential (tropical even) rain and gusting plenty
Fortunately all anchors were well set . Our nearest neighbour was dressed overall to celebrate her arrival in paradise.
30 December
A day aboard, tidying up and preparing for the trip Southwards.
31 December
The weather became innocent again!
New Years Eve on the beach at St Annes
In the distance, HMS Diamond Rock....a pre-cursor to the battle of Trafalgar.
Here endeth the first year of my retirement.
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| This was our track for the Atlantic voyage December 2003 |
To reach January 2004, click on "Older Posts" below right
